Width-maintaining means for sheet-glass apparatus



Feb. 5, 1929. 1,701,I61

J. M. NEENAN ETAL WIDTH MAINTAINING MEANS FOB SHEET GLASS AFPARATUSFiled Dec. 9, 1926 Joseph /V\; Ncnan James D. Weave r atman,

, Patented Feb. 1929.

` UNITED *sn-r s PATENT OFFICE.

.TOSEPE M. NEENAN ANDJAMES PuwEAVER, 01' CEABLESTON, WEST VIBGINIA, AS-

SIGNOBS TO THE LIBBEY -OWENS POBATION OF OEIO.

SHEET GLASS COMPANY, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, A COR- e e wIDTE-IINTADTING HEARSFOB SEEET-GLASS APPAATUS.

A ucato' mea December 9, 1926. Serial No. saso.

This invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for producingsheet glass and more particularly for maintaining the said sheet towidth.

An important object of the invention is to provide, in sheet glassapparatus, means for containing a mass of molten glass, means fordrawing a sheet therefrom, and improved means engaging the edges of thesheet to lo prevent narrowng thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in sheet glass apparatus,means for continuously drawing a sheet from-a mass of molten glass, andmeans engaging the edges of the sheet to prevent narrowing thereof in ecombinaton with means for directing a current of air onto the sheetedges before they contact with said edge engaging means.

Other objects and advantages of the inven- `y ton will become moreapparent during the course of the following description when taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawing 'forming a part of this application and wherein likenumerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Fig. 1 is a transverse sectional view of sheet glass drawing apparatusshowing associated ao therewith improved width maintaining meansconstructed in accordance with the present invention,

Fig. 2 is an enlar ed top plan showing one of the improved wi thmantaining devices in position,

Fig. 3 is an inner ed e elevation of one of the improved widthmantaining devices, and

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of one of the said width maintainingdevices.

The present invention relates particularly to the formation of a flatsheet of glass wherein the sheet is continuously drawn from a mass ofmolten glass. The type of apparatus set forth in the drawings is similarto the Construction disclosed in the Colburn Patcnt No. 1,248,809granted Dec. 4, 1917 where- The glass is then run through a combinedfiattening and drawing mechanism into an annealing leer where it isgraduall reduced to room temperature as s well own in the art;

. In drawing a sheet of gla'ss vertically in this manner, it isnecessary to provide some form of. means having an action on said sheetadapted to prevent narrowng thereof. In

' accordance with the Colburn patent above set forth, a pair ofrotatable knurled rollers are provided at both edges and on oppositesides of the sheet toiorn an edge thereon sufficiently viscous toprevent narrowing of the sheet to an appreciable extent. It is an aim ofthe present invention to substitute for these knurled rollers, improvedwidth main taining members to obviate the necessit for the drivingmechanism formerly emp oyed and to also cut down the amount of wastethat has heretofore been had.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided at each edgeof the sheet 7 and preferably closely adjacent the base or meniscus 9, apair of preferably hollow statonary members 10 and 11 which engage theopposite sides of said sheet.. These members, which may be formed ofMonel or any other desirable and suitable non-Corrosive metal alloy, arecarried b the inner ends of su porting arms 12 an 13 and a rtion of t eadjacent faces thereof are slig tly cut away to form a slot 14,terminating at its inner end in an enlarged and preferably circularopening 16; The sheet ed e is -adapted to be drawn upwardly throu theslot 14 and the openin 15. and it will %e noted upon reference to ig. 2that the sheet edge contacts only with the walls of the opening 15 anddoes not contact with the walls of the slot 14. As will be more fullypointed out later, the

members 10 and 11 are internally cooled even though the walls of theslots 14 do not actually contact with the sheet. As is shown, they arearranged relatively close to said sheet edges in a manner that -theywill absorb heat from said sheet; Obviousl this 'acts to strengthen theedges, there y reducing the tendency of the sheet to narrow. In thisway, a relatively wider sheet can be drawn from a given width of ot forthe reason that it is possible to cap c oser'to the edge of the sheet.Furthermore, by the use of this `invention it is possible to do awaywith the formation of such a roughened edge on the sheet as now resultsfrom the use of the knurled rollers.

The outer ends of the supporting arms 12 and 13 are mounted upon a base16 slidable within a guide-way 17 so that the width maintaining members10 and 11 may be moved towards and away from the sheet as desired.

The base 16 is rigidlysecured in the desired by means of a pivot pin 19.A spring 20 acts to normally urge the arm 12 about its pivot 19 so as tomove the width maintaining members 10 and 11 into engagement with thesheet edge but this spring is of course sufciently Weak or resilient topermit the drawing of the sheet between the said width maintainingmembers.

In order to prevent the width maintaining members 10 and 11 fromoverheating, pipes 21 are carried by the supporting arms 11 and 12 topermit the contnuous circulating of a suitable cooling medium, such asrelatively cool water, through the said members. This cooling mediumenters through the pipe 22 and after 'passing through the said widthmaintainers passes outwardly through pipe 23.

One of the most important features of the present invention is theprovision of means for directing a current of air onto the sheet edgesbefore they contact with the width maintainng members 10 and 11 and, asshown, suitable pipes or the like 25 may be provided for accomplishingthis purpose. i By the use of this air, a relatively heavy edge' will beformed' on the sheet below the edge engaging means and as stated, thesheet will pass between the said members without ac tual contact exceptin the circular opening 15. r The lower faces of the members 10 and 11are curved downwardly and outwardly as ndicated at 24 in. order that thesheet will not contact therewith as it is being drawn and so that arelatively wider sheet can be drawn from a given width of pot due to the4 slot 14 and opening 15 and because of the inherent tendency of moltenglass, a certain amount of frictional resistance will be had between themoving glass and the members. This frictonal retardation causes alowering of the temperature of theglass which is further accelerated bymeans of the cooling medium and the current of air being directed on theedges of the sheet. This cooling is not so severe that the glass becomesset but it. is of such a nature that the edges of the glass will becompara'tively viscous to the main body of the glass, thus beingsufficiently strong to prevent the glass sheet from narrowing at itsbase.

While the present invention has been de-` scribed herenabove inconnection with one particular type of process, yet. it is to beunderstood that its use is not to be restricted to any one specific'form of sheet glass apparatus inasmuch as it may be used just assatisfactorily in other types of pmcesses.

'It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shownand described is to betaken as the preferred enbodiment of the same, andthat various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may beresorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or thescope of the subjoined claims.

We claim:

1. In sheet glass apparatus, means for drawing a sheet from a mass ofmolten glass, including width maintaining means, and means for directinga jet of air onto the edges of the sheet betore the said edges contactwith said width maintaining means.

2. In sheet glass apparatus, means for drawing a sheet from a mass ofmolten glass, including stationary width maintaining members engagingthe opposite edgesof the sheet being drawn, and means for playing acurrent of air on the edges of the sheet before the said sheet edges.contact wit said width maintaining members.

3. In sheet glass apparatus, means for drawing a sheet from a mass ofmolten lass, including stationary width i naintaning members engagingopposite edges of the sheet being drawn, means for directing a jet ofair on the edges of the sheet before they contact with said widthmaintaining members, and means for circulating a cooling medium throughsaid width maintaining members.

4. In sheet glass apparatus, means for drawing a sheet from a mass ofmolten glass,

and a pair of width maintaining members 0- sitioned at each edge of thesheet being drawn, each pair of members being arranged to form a slotfor receiving the sheet edge and each slot terminating at its inner endin an enlarged opening, the distance between the walls of the slot beinggreater than the thickness of the glass sheet being formed, whereby thtsheet Contacts in the enlarged opening on y.

5. In sheet glass apparatus, means for drawing a sheet from a mass ofmolten glass, a pair of width maintaining members positioned at eachedge of the sheet being drawn,

each pair of members being arranged to form a slot for receiving thesheet edge and each ing on1y`with the walls of saidopening, and

means for playing a jet of air on the sheet edge before it contacts withthe width maintaining members. 7. In sheet glass apparatus, means fordrawing a sheet from a mass of molten glass, and a pair of non-rotatablewidth maintaining members arranged ;at each edge of the sheet -andpositioned closely adjacent the -base thereof, the width maintainingmembers comprising a pair being adjustable with respect to each other,said members being provided with faces curvingeaway from said sheet toprevent contact tween said faces and the sheet or the molten glass fromwhich the sheet is drawn. e s 8. In sheet 'glass apparatus, means fordrawing a sheet from a mass of molten glass, and a pair of widthmaintaining members positioned 't each edge of the sheet bem drawn, eachpair of members being arrange to form a slot for receivin the sheet edgeand each slot terminatin at its inner end in an enlarged opening, t elower faces of said members being curved to prevent the sheetsubsequently drawing ,t e said sheet edges' into contact with sheetwidth 'maintaining means. p

10. In sheet glass apparatus, a recept-acle containing a rass of moltenglass, means for drawing a sheet therefrom, a pair of non-rotatablemembers arran ed at each edge of the sheet, portions of said membersContacting with-the sheet edges, means for normally urging the pair ofmembers at each edge toward each other, and means'for directing acurrent of air on the sheet edges beneath said nonrotatable members.

11'. The method of producing sheet glass consisting in drawing a sheetfrom a mass of molten ass, directing a current of air on the edges o thesheet, and subsequently moving the sheet edges in contact withstationary frictionalsurfaces.

Signed at Charleston in the county of Kanawha and State of WestVirginia, this 2nd day of December, 1926.

' JOSEPH M. NEENAN. JAMES P. WEAVER.

